diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 9709b1e650..f23f097a63 100755
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -13902,3 +13902,12 @@ Rom    June 17 2004
     - Tag for 3.13 release, all platforms
       boinc_core_release_3_13
 
+Daniel 17 June 2004
+    - Determine utmp location at compile time
+
+    config.h.in
+    configure
+    configure.ac
+    client/
+        hostinfo_unix.C
+
diff --git a/client/hostinfo_unix.C b/client/hostinfo_unix.C
index b510808ac0..b1b98f5d1e 100644
--- a/client/hostinfo_unix.C
+++ b/client/hostinfo_unix.C
@@ -445,14 +445,14 @@ static struct utmp ut;
 
 struct utmp *getutent() {
     if (ufp == NULL) {
-#if defined(HAVE__ETC_UTMP)
-        if ((ufp = fopen("/etc/utmp", "r")) == NULL) {
-#elif defined(HAVE__VAR_RUN_UTMP)
-        if ((ufp = fopen("/var/run/utmp", "r")) == NULL) {
-#elif defined(HAVE__RUN_ADM_UTMP)
-        if ((ufp = fopen("/var/adm/utmp", "r")) == NULL) {
-#else
+#if defined(UTMP_LOCATION)
+        if ((ufp = fopen(UTMP_LOCATION, "r")) == NULL) {
+#elif defined(UTMP_FILE)
         if ((ufp = fopen(UTMP_FILE, "r")) == NULL) {
+#elif defined(_PATH_UTMP)
+        if ((ufp = fopen(_PATH_UTMP, "r")) == NULL) {
+#else
+        if ((ufp = fopen("/etc/utmp", "r")) == NULL) {
 #endif
             return((struct utmp *)NULL);
         }
diff --git a/config.h.in b/config.h.in
index 13e0bca1ac..847b24c886 100644
--- a/config.h.in
+++ b/config.h.in
@@ -296,15 +296,6 @@
 /* Define to 1 if /dev/tty1 exists */
 #undef HAVE__DEV_TTY1
 
-/* Define to 1 if you have the file `AC_File'. */
-#undef HAVE__ETC_UTMP
-
-/* Define to 1 if you have the file `AC_File'. */
-#undef HAVE__VAR_ADM_UTMP
-
-/* Define to 1 if you have the file `AC_File'. */
-#undef HAVE__VAR_RUN_UTMP
-
 /* Host for this compilation */
 #undef HOSTTYPE
 
@@ -348,6 +339,9 @@
 /* Define to 1 if your <sys/time.h> declares `struct tm'. */
 #undef TM_IN_SYS_TIME
 
+/* utmp file location */
+#undef UTMP_LOCATION
+
 /* Version number of package */
 #undef VERSION
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index afa13d3d2a..379b498438 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -7774,82 +7774,18 @@ _ACEOF
 fi
 
 
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for /var/run/utmp" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for /var/run/utmp... $ECHO_C" >&6
-if test "${ac_cv_file__var_run_utmp+set}" = set; then
-  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
-else
-  test "$cross_compiling" = yes &&
-  { { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: cannot check for file existence when cross compiling" >&5
-echo "$as_me: error: cannot check for file existence when cross compiling" >&2;}
-   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
-if test -r "/var/run/utmp"; then
-  ac_cv_file__var_run_utmp=yes
-else
-  ac_cv_file__var_run_utmp=no
-fi
-fi
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_file__var_run_utmp" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_file__var_run_utmp" >&6
-if test $ac_cv_file__var_run_utmp = yes; then
+for f in /etc/utmp /var/adm/utmp /var/run/utmp; do
+    if test -f $f; then
+        utmp_file=$f
+    fi
+done
+if test -n "$utmp_file"; then
 
 cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE__VAR_RUN_UTMP 1
+#define UTMP_LOCATION "$utmp_file"
 _ACEOF
 
-
 fi
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for /var/adm/utmp" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for /var/adm/utmp... $ECHO_C" >&6
-if test "${ac_cv_file__var_adm_utmp+set}" = set; then
-  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
-else
-  test "$cross_compiling" = yes &&
-  { { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: cannot check for file existence when cross compiling" >&5
-echo "$as_me: error: cannot check for file existence when cross compiling" >&2;}
-   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
-if test -r "/var/adm/utmp"; then
-  ac_cv_file__var_adm_utmp=yes
-else
-  ac_cv_file__var_adm_utmp=no
-fi
-fi
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_file__var_adm_utmp" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_file__var_adm_utmp" >&6
-if test $ac_cv_file__var_adm_utmp = yes; then
-
-cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE__VAR_ADM_UTMP 1
-_ACEOF
-
-
-fi
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for /etc/utmp" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for /etc/utmp... $ECHO_C" >&6
-if test "${ac_cv_file__etc_utmp+set}" = set; then
-  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
-else
-  test "$cross_compiling" = yes &&
-  { { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: cannot check for file existence when cross compiling" >&5
-echo "$as_me: error: cannot check for file existence when cross compiling" >&2;}
-   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
-if test -r "/etc/utmp"; then
-  ac_cv_file__etc_utmp=yes
-else
-  ac_cv_file__etc_utmp=no
-fi
-fi
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_file__etc_utmp" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_file__etc_utmp" >&6
-if test $ac_cv_file__etc_utmp = yes; then
-
-cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE__ETC_UTMP 1
-_ACEOF
-
-
-fi
-
 
 if test -e "/dev/mouse"; then
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d3bffd9d22..3373a0bcec 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -120,7 +120,15 @@ AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
 AC_STRUCT_TM
 AC_STRUCT_TIMEZONE
 
-AC_CHECK_FILES(/var/run/utmp /var/adm/utmp /etc/utmp)
+dnl utmp file location
+for f in /etc/utmp /var/adm/utmp /var/run/utmp; do
+    if test -f $f; then
+        utmp_file=$f
+    fi
+done
+if test -n "$utmp_file"; then
+    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(UTMP_LOCATION, "$utmp_file", utmp file location)
+fi
 
 dnl Checks for device files
 if test -e "/dev/mouse"; then